Hunter was found unconscious Feb. 22 in an unbuckled car seat. Investigators said Harding put the child in the seat to sleep. Chase shuffled himself, and the seat belt harness got wrapped around his neck.

"Car seats are made just for the car. They're not made to be used inside the home and if anything comes of this, that's the important message we'd like to get across," said Lt. Darci Tierney.

It is unclear who found Chase, but his parents issued the following statement: "We are devastated right now and appreciate all the prayers and support from the community."

Harding is booked at the Douglas County Department of Corrections for child abuse homicide as a result of the investigation by OPD’s child victim unit.

"This is a tragic situation not only for the child and the child's family but also for the day care provider," Tierney said.